How To Edit Pages
__ToC__ Editing refers to the process by which a page is altered. Unless certain restrictions are in effect, all pages are editable, by everyone. This is a brief overview of that process. More detail is on the "shared help" page and the links from that page. A list of all available help pages can be found at Help:Contents. Editing basics Start editing To start editing a page, click the Edit tab at the top or near the bottom. This brings you to the edit page: a page with a text box containing the wikitext – the editable code from which the server produces the finished page, and often called the edit box. Type your changes You can just type your text. However, using basic wiki markup (described in the next section) to make links and do simple formatting adds to the value of your contribution. Some types of entries have templates you can use that include formatting information. Summarize your changes If the change you have made might be controversial, is an important change, or needs clarification, you can write a short edit summary in the small field below the edit-box. For pedestrian, self-explanatory, or minor changes you can leave this blank. Preview before saving! When you have finished, click Show preview to see how your changes will look before you make them permanent. Repeat the edit/preview process until you are satisfied, then click Save page and your changes will be immediately applied to the article. Most frequent wiki markup explained Here are the most frequently used types of wiki markup. For a more comprehensive list see the Wiki Markup Reference. Minor edits A check to the minor edit box signifies that only superficial differences exist between the current and previous version: typo corrections, formatting and presentational changes, rearranging of text without modifying content, et cetera. A minor edit is a version that the editor believes requires no review and could never be the subject of a dispute. An edit marked as minor appears on the right of a lower case, bolded "m" character (m) in the history. By contrast, a major edit is a version that should be reviewed to confirm that it is consensual to all concerned editors. Therefore, any change that affects the meaning of an article is not minor, even if the edit is a single word, for example, the addition or removal of "not", which can vastly change the meaning of a sentence, paragraph, section or article. The distinction between major and minor edits is significant because editors may choose to ignore minor edits when reviewing recent changes; logged-in users might even set their preferences to not display them. If there is any chance that another editor might dispute a change, it is best to not mark the edit as minor. ;When to mark an edit as minor * Spelling corrections * Simple formatting (e.g., capitalization, punctuation, or properly adding italics to non-English words like et cetera) * Formatting that doesn't change the meaning of the page (e.g. adding horizontal lines, splitting one paragraph into two—where this is not contentious) * Obvious factual errors (e.g., changing 1873 to 1973, where the event in question clearly took place in the 20th century) * Fixing layout errors * Adding and correcting wiki links * Removing vandalism and graffiti Category:Help Category:Tips